DAY 62. César Queiroz

Brand Strategist.

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English:

As a brand strategist, he acts in a consulting of branding called 2DA, in Minas Gerais. He is a co-creator of Fieldwork Group and a board member of the Branding Minas event. Cesar is also a professor of the post-graduation program in Brand Management and Corporate Identity at PUC Minas. He is passionate about discovering what is unique and relevant to people and businesses.

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What is your impression about a brand called Brazil?

Whether we agree or not, we are traditionally associated with carnival, samba, tropical fruits, beaches, soccer, economic instability. Brazil is fun, many would say. Caricatured perception, that other countries also do not fail to have, as the “passionate Spain”, the “efficient Germany”, the “traditional England,” the “stylish Italy”, the “spiritual India.”

We are very young as a nation. I do not remember of having in our country a strong founding history, as the legend of King Arthur, defender of the Christian spirit, national heritage of England. Or of invented traditions, as were the kilt and tartan, national apparatuses that now distinguish the Scots.

However, I see that since 1958, when we conquered our first title of the World Cup in Sweden, it possibly has intensified the construction of a global perception about Brazil. We won, also, a national hero who became famous around the world, the dear Pele.

Around the same time, our “Bossa Nova” (national music style) spread and crossed continents. Maybe this was the way we found to incorporate the “malandragem” (“rascality”) of the samba (of African and slave origin) to the world’s elite. We gained new heroes such as Tom Jobim and João Gilberto.

Just before the World Cup we won as a “gift” a character of Walt Disney Studios, the Zé Carioca. A figure that is fun, festive, lazy and slut. Our unique way to get rid of problems – the “Brazilian way” – embodied in this character, designed for the world the typical “malandro” (“rascal”) of Rio.

It is true that, historically, as a nation, we do not take things so seriously. We want to take advantage, we are corrupt, disorganized (when we compare, for example, our companies to the American and European ones) and we not like so much to plan, preferring often the “let’s see what happens,” the “letting go”. On the other hand, we are outgoing, natural improvisers, creative, easy to deal with, we are dear in almost all parts of the world, highly relational, we love to meet, to celebrate, to chat.

But in recent years, this caricatured perception about Brazil seems to be in transition. As I understand it, many changes are underway. This is very good, because undoubtedly, this traditional perception hinders and, sometimes, even prevents our development in some areas.

This transition moment is a golden opportunity, since countries are not only seeking to project their political power, as it has been throughout history, but mainly they are competing with “tooth and nail” for exports, investment and tourism.

And there is no other way to compete, if not from a positive projection of our personality, culture, history, values, which may even be an idealized image of ourselves, but also instantly recognizable. It should come from our identity, of the “connection” that exists between us, of what makes us different from an American, a French, an Indian, a Japanese.

In the 80s, wasn’t it the “toucan”, a Brazilian jet created by Embraer, used in the British air force? He represented one of the first global successes of the company as well as the country. Since then, several other Brazilian products and services were spread to the world. This is the case of companies and brands such as Andrade Gutierrez, Gerdau, Petrobras, AmBev, Havaianas, Melissa, Rosa Chá, Osklen, H.Stern, Alexandre Herchcovitch, and of course, our genuine drink of Brazil, that conquered the world.

Our influence in Mercosul is becoming stronger. Important bilateral agreements have emerged, such as the partnership with the United States in various areas such as biofuels, education and use of space. We are getting closer to get a seat on the UN Security Council. There was a great leap in our technological capabilities as well as the birth of several start-ups in Brazil. We also won an acronym, BRIC, a sign that we are drawing much attention worldwide.

Undoubtedly, we are ahead of many countries. How many have a clear idea of ​​who are Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan? For me, at least, it seems the same. And there are many other countries that are very little known, not only by me but by many people in the world. Countries like Belize, Mongolia, Sri Lanka and Gabon, over which we may have an idea, but possibly an idea far from reality.

Surely we need a new idea about Brazil (which seems to be emerging and that excites me a lot), which allows our technical and industrial capacity to be treated with the same respect given to our ability to please tourists.